Jestersix

Aeptasia breakout need to mow them down

HiFidelity

HiFidelity

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Hello gang, I noticed recently small aeptasia populating a few places in my tank. I believe they came from a small batch of live rock I added to my sump a few months ago.
Anyone know where I can find aeptasia eating peppermint shrimp? Or perhaps someone who's willing to sell one?
 
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewItem.aspx?idProduct=4P1111&utm_source=MarineDepot.com+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e893f6fa82-Customer_Favorites1_17_2013&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=e893f6fa82&mc_eid=051ce3f188
 
I've ordered a supposed pepp shrimp that is bread to eat aiptasia and I've located 2 others so I'm going to have a total of 3 in my tank, I want to have pepp's that eat aiptasia so I can keep them in there and never worry about it coming back, also they are pretty cool looking so a nice addition to my livestock :)

thanks for all the input everyone
 
I picked up a healthy copperband butterfly from Carson at Aquatic Collection for my aptasia problem. Carson hand picks healthy ones...make sure you ask to see them eat before buying.
 
If the shrimps fail I will definitely eradicate these pests manually but I'm very anxious to see first if I can successfully train peppermint shrimp to eat them, the Aiptasia isn't taking over the tank or anything and they're isolated where they grew so it's really easy to pull them out & inject them once I choose to.

Right now I'm feeding my pepp's a single type of flake (they devour it like it's falling from heaven) in a few days I'll feed the same flakes to the Aiptasia then stick them in QT with the shrimp and hope the shrimp are smart enough to find the yummy flakes inside the Aiptasia :)
 
The problem with peps is that if you have fish, and you feed them, the peps will eat the food instead.

I've had some great success with peps...and then the peps die.

bergias = waste of money LOTS OF MONEY

I've been using Aiptasia-X which works and doesn't work, much like every other cure-all chemical. It SEEMS to work, then a month later there are a million more.

ie; you kill the aiptaisa, but like the final scene of "Predator" with it's dying breath, it screws you over (by expelling babies or whatever).

So if you can keep them alive, peps are great, but the fact is you'll never get them all and just have to be happy with killing the ones you can reach and that are stinging stuff.

V
 
I just picked up a Peppermint Shrimp and he hasn't made any progress yet on the Aiptasia. I was watching him as my lights turned on and noticed him get stuck to my MP10 so I turned the flow down drastically, LoL. That poor little guy.

Hopefully he'll make some progress on the Aiptasia. Otherwise, I may have to get some Aiptasia-X.

Jim - How are you applying the sodium hydroxide? With a syringe?
 
There are several species of PS from the Caribbean that all look very much alike but come from different locations. If I remember correctly there is only one spp. that excels at aiptasia consumption and that is Lysmata wurdemanni. Unfortunately the shrimp sold in the stores are generally not labeled correctly if at all. I was thinking that the Ora shrimp were L. wurdemanni but a quick search of their site does not confirm this. Their shrimp are just labeled Lysmata spp. The Live Aquaria site talks about the different spp. of shrimp.

-Gregory
 
Be REALLY CAREFUL with the sodium hydroxide! Wear goggles and gloves, even if the gloves get soaked when you stick your hands in the water.

Google it's use as an aipsatia killed!

I actually ordered some "Rooto" lye (drain cleaner) from eBay or Amazon, since most stores don't sell it....then I find out that Ace Hardware stocks it! Doh! (what a waste of shipping fees!)

But I've not used it yet, I've got Aiptasia-X which would probably work a lot better if I was more consistent with it's use.

I used it, then went to Canada for the holidays and now my tank is an Aiptasia farm that I've not had a chance to re-apply aiptasia-X to.

My only defense is just occasional attacks on the aipts. I know it's a war I can't win, but I can keep their numbers down somewhat, and kill the obvious giants.
 
I don't like putting Aptasia X in the tank, but it does help keep them down a bit.

I started a new habbit of using Aptasia x the night before my water changes. This makes me feel a bit better about adding it........plus it is now a regular routine, so I am hoping to get on top of the problem. I have only done this twice so far, however some of the regulars that always come back........seem to be taking a bit longer to return. So the hope is that with repeated beatings they will not be able to feed as much and will eventually perish. Or it will just make them so I don't see them as much. Either way works for me. ;) I'll let ya know if it causes any problems, or if it seems to work. My hope is that with each treatment I will be using less and less of the actual Aptasia X. It has never caused any major problems for me, HOWEVER.......the day or two after I use it..... all the coraline Algae in the tank seems to turn pale. It recovers after a couple days. At first I wasn't sure what was causing this.......but it is always associated with the Aptasia X treatments. Just for reference.........for my 300 gallon tank I generally have to use about 1.5 - 2 syringe's full of the stuff. I think they are 3ml syringes (might be 5ml?).......so about 4.5 - 6ml of solution. I am hoping to use less as time goes on.

Of coarse, all this could have the opposite affect and I will be the creator of the SUPER APTASIA!!! That will never die. :~ Oops.
 
Yeah, as much as possible, I'd like to attack the problem in the most natural way as possible. I guess I'll have to either train my peppermint shrimp or just find ones that are already trained.
 
Every time someone mentions training shrimp I think of 'The Letterman Show' stupid pet tricks.

I know, sick mind...

:tongue:

At least I didn't say 'pee in tank'!!
 
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